


The Bonds We Make

by Eilera



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: All Shiros are Beautiful, Also there is a dragon, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, But mostly just Shiro and Kuron being awesome, Especially when they are together, Fluff, Kuron isn't Much Better, M/M, Panic Attacks, Rarepair, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Slight mentions of Lance/Hunk and Pidge/Allura if you squint really hard, Soulmates, because why the hell not, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 04:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14663412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eilera/pseuds/Eilera
Summary: Ever since Shiro was old enough to understand what a soulmate was, he’d dreamed of the day he would finally meet his.And then he’d set eyes on Kuro. His clone. And with that, colour and a distinct feeling of completion flooded through him like an electric shock.Shiro didn’t want it.Tears welled up in his eyes and he angrily scrubbed them away. The Galra had already taken so much from him. He didn’t think this was something they could touch.And now, he was bound to yet another Galra creation. One not connected to his body, but his soul.(In which everyone sees in black and white until they meet their soulmate and Shiro has to deal with the fact that his soulmate is his clone.)





	The Bonds We Make

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I'm gonna admit, this is my second favourite pairing for the whole fandom. Apparently, I am one of very few. But that's okay, I will be the change I want to see in this world! Join me.
> 
> Season 5 ripped my heart out for poor Kuron. He has no idea what is happening and I just want to give him a hug. But I also want to give Shiro a hug so...let's just have them hug each other. :)
> 
> Special thanks to [DeathByStorm](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeathByStorm/works) for beta'ing as usual. Please check out her Kuron/Shiro fic!

Lance led Shiro down the hall, casting furtive looks in the other man’s direction. Shiro had only just gotten out of the pod after his rescue. Perhaps now wasn’t the right time to do this, but Shiro had that look in his eye and Lance couldn’t really deny him anything right now. Not after...

No, he wouldn’t think about it.

For once in his life, Lance didn’t know what to say. What do you do to prepare someone for meeting their own clone? As much as he might joke about how awesome it would be to have another version of himself around, if he was being honest, he knew he’d be terrified.

“And you’re sure that he’s safe?” Shiro inquired, his face grim.

“Ah, well, Pidge, Hunk and Coran have all looked him over thoroughly. We know Haggar was watching us through him and seemed to be controlling him to a minor degree. As far as we know, those controls have been removed from his brain but,” Lance paused, frowning. “we might never know for sure that it’s all gone. Pidge said they just had a few more tests to run before we let him go.”

Shiro didn’t reply but his mouth turned down even more.

They rounded the corner to a separate wing housing guest bedrooms. They’d locked Sh-no, _Kuro_ , in one of those rooms. They couldn’t quite bring themselves to lock him in an actual cell. He hadn’t done anything wrong on purpose. Lance had seen how shaken up he’d been when he approached Lance to ask for his help.

To let him know that he felt something was wrong.

That he didn’t feel like _himself_.

Lance paused in front of one of the doors, glancing at Shiro in hesitation. With his nod of approval, Lance input the code on the lock and the door opened with a pneumatic hiss.

Kuro had been sitting at the desk, reading from a tablet. He glanced up at their arrival and his eyes widened when they landed on Shiro.

Lance watched in shock as Shiro suddenly stumbled backwards, covering his own eyes with both hands.

“Shiro!” Lance gasped, reaching out but Shiro continued to back away, still covering his eyes even though he was shaking his head wildly.

“I-” He choked, back slamming into the opposite wall. He slowly lowered his shaking hands and Lance stopped moving towards him at the haunted look in his eyes. “I...I can’t do this. Right now. I-” He looked lost, frightened. His eyes roamed the hallway as if he was seeing something he’d never seen before. Lance didn’t know what to think. He had never seen him look like that before, no matter how much shit was thrown at him and it was honestly terrifying.

“Shiro?”

“I need to go.” And with that, Shiro took off.

As Lance debated over whether or not he should follow, he glanced back at Kuro only to see him staring after the retreating Shiro. His eyes were wide, shocked and...hurt?

“What just happened?” Lance asked. He had noticed that Kuro was a little more open with the team when something was wrong. Shiro would hide it as much as possible, but Kuro had reached out to Lance before and he hoped he might give him some answers that he wouldn’t otherwise get out of Shiro.

At first, it didn’t seem like Kuro had heard him but then he suddenly straightened and gave Lance a small smile. “It can’t be easy meeting your clone for the first time. I’m sure he’ll come around.”

Lance narrowed his eyes, but Kuro’s smile remained firmly in place.

“Kuro...”

“Lance.”

Lance sighed, shoulder’s slumping. “I’ll figure it out eventually. Or Pidge and Hunk will. They’ll tell me!”

Kuro just shrugged.

“Ugh, you two are infuriating. Well, sorry you’re stuck in here. Just a bit longer, I promise.”

Kuro’s smile slipped slightly for a second. “I’d rather you be thorough than rush things. I...” He paused, eyes darting down the hall Shiro had disappeared down. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Lance patted him on the shoulder genially, giving him a wink. “Don’t you worry, those three will have you fixed up in no time! We got your back!”

Kuro gave him a smile, eyes trailing back to the hall.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shiro stumbled through his bedroom door, letting it close behind him. He didn’t bother turning on the lights, letting the small glow of his clock give him just enough light to move by. He stepped over to his bed, sinking down onto the soft mattress.

This couldn’t be happening.

Ever since Shiro was old enough to understand what a soulmate was, he’d dreamed of the day he would finally meet his. Day after day, year after year he would pray that this time, _this time_ he was going to meet them. But that day just never seemed to come. He’d watched friends and acquaintances meet their other halves over and over again. His grandmother had described to him the day she met his grandfather and how her world was flooded with colour and unequivocal acceptance and love.

He waited for his turn, but it was all in vain.

By the time he’d gone on the Kerberos mission, he was one of the only people he knew his age that hadn’t yet met theirs. He’d started to worry that he never would. That there wasn’t anyone out there just for him.

And then he’d set eyes on Kuro. His _clone._ And with that, colour and a distinct feeling of _completion_ flooded through him like an electric shock.

Shiro didn’t want it.

Tears welled up in his eyes and he angrily scrubbed them away. The Galra had already taken so much from him. He didn’t think this was something they could touch.

And now, he was bound to yet another Galra creation. One not connected to his body, but his _soul_.

Just another violation to add to the list.

Shiro’s breath came out wet sounding and he clenched his eyes shut against more tears. He rolled over on his bed, burying his face into the pillow as his body shook.

Why him? Why couldn’t he just be normal? Why did everything have to be so broken when it came to him?

Shiro didn’t have any answers.

He was starting to think he never would.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kuro headed down the hall, footsteps light and quiet. It was what passed for night time in the castle and as far as he could tell, everyone else was asleep.

Except Shiro, of course.

Kuro had been cleared for release two weeks ago. Ever since then, he’d been trying to corner Shiro to have a private chat about…the bond. He’d been shocked when it happened and Shiro didn’t look like he’d taken it any better. It was an unusual situation, but once he got over the initial surprise, Kuro found he didn’t mind the idea at all.

Shiro, on the other hand, most certainly did.

He hadn’t been outright hostile to Kuro, but he wasn’t exactly friendly either. Kuro would see him smile at the others, always willing to dole out hugs and an encouraging pat on the shoulder. But with Kuro? No, Shiro was avoiding him whenever possible.

Luckily, Kuro knew where to find him.

Kuro poked his head into the kitchen. As expected, the room was empty and lit only by the soft blue lights in the floor. He snatched up a water pouch and some snacks left over from Hunk’s experiments with alien ingredients. This time he’d managed to make these small, pink balls, heavy as marbles but tasting like popcorn. It was a strange combination, but Kuro found that he liked them.

With his prize in hand, Kuro continued his journey.

The thing was, Kuro _understood_ Shiro. He didn’t just sympathize, like Lance and Hunk. He didn’t need to clarify or question it like Pidge and Keith. He _understood_ because he had Shiro’s memories. He may not have actually experienced all of the things Shiro had, but he felt like he did. Maybe it wasn’t exactly the same, but it was pretty damn close.

Kuro paused as he neared the training room. He could hear movement inside, the soft grunts and thumps of combat muffled by the door.

No, this soulbond wasn’t normal. But Shiro’s life had stopped being normal ever since the Galra decided to land on Kerberos.

Steeling himself, Kuro pushed the training room door open softly.

Shiro was fighting with one of the training bots, his body gracefully ducking and weaving around the robot’s attacks. He was fighting in a way he would never let the other paladins see, more vicious and dirty than the usual traditional attacks. This was the type of fighting one used in the pits. It was the kind that kept you alive.

The sweat dripping off Shiro’s nose and glistening on his bare chest indicated he’d been at it for some time. Kuro’s eyes skimmed over the scars. They were nothing he hadn’t already seen before. There were some that Kuro didn’t have, courtesy of Shiro’s second bout of captivity with the Galra, but Kuro had his own scars too.

Kuro watched as the robot managed to slip behind Shiro, staff whistling towards his neck at a startling speed. Shiro dropped into a crouch, quick as a cat, swiping his left leg along the ground and knocking the bot over. He grabbed the staff as the robot fell, twirling it once to get it into a stabbing position before bringing it down through the bot’s chest, piercing its outer shell. The robot twitched, sparks flying from the wound before it went still.

Kuro gave Shiro a few moments to calm down, watching as his chest rose and fell with his panting breaths. Reluctantly, Kuro tore his eyes away from Shiro’s chest to open up the container of ‘marble popcorn’, as Matt called it. He felt vaguely stupid for being attracted to someone that looked almost exactly like him, but it wasn’t like he had any control over his own feelings. He didn’t think of himself as all that good-looking, but for some reason he had no issue with Shiro’s appearance. That was kind of fucked up and maybe a psychologist would love to analyze that, but thankfully there weren’t any in the castle, so Kuro was safe.

Shiro dragged the remnants of the bot into the recycling chute before turning around to put the staff away. He froze at the sight of Kuro. Kuro gave him a small wave, holding up the snacks and water in offering.

Shiro hesitated, dark eyes unreadable, before moving to the nearby bench to grab a towel. He dabbed his face with it before letting it hang around his neck. Uncertainly, he headed towards Kuro who silently offered him the water pouch.

“Thought you might want a snack.” Kuro said as Shiro chugged half the water pouch. Some of the water trickled onto his chest and Kuro couldn’t stop his eyes from following its trail down the toned planes of Shiro’s abs. It disappeared into the waistband of his low-riding sweat pants and-

Jesus Christ.

Kuro quickly looked back up at Shiro’s face, thankful that he hadn’t caught him staring like a horny teenager.

“Thanks.” Shiro said quietly, placing the cap back on the water pouch. His eyes darted to the bag of marble popcorn and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. “I don’t know how you can eat those.”

Kuro laughed, popping one into his mouth as he took a seat on the bench. “It’s just fine if you can get over the weight of them.”

Shiro shook his head, setting the pouch onto the bench nearby and grabbing his towel to rub it through his hair. When he pulled the cloth back, Kuro was amused to see his hair sticking out every which way. It was cute.

Shiro paused, staring at the towel in his hands. He didn’t look up at Kuro as he murmured, “Sorry, I just couldn’t sleep so I thought I should do something productive.”

Shiro must have been expecting Kuro to question him, maybe admonish him to make sure he got more sleep or something stupid like that. Well, fuck that.

“I know.”

Shiro tensed, looking up at Kuro. “I-“

“I _know_.” Kuro stressed, hoping his eyes could portray what he couldn’t quite put into words.

Shiro’s eyes bored into his own before he smiled softly. “I suppose you do.”

Kuro felt like something had changed in that moment, a mutual understanding that only they could reach. His heart skipped a beat.

“So, now that that’s out of the way, can we discuss our…situation? Please?”

This time Shiro didn’t tense. He fiddled with the towel in his hands for a moment before nodding and taking a seat next to Kuro.

They sat in companionable silence, the first time Kuro had felt relaxed around the other man. He didn’t say anything, comfortable enough to wait while Shiro gathered his thoughts. He popped another popcorn marble into his mouth.

“I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you.” Shiro said, rubbing the back of his neck. “This whole thing has been a bit of a shock.”

“I understand.” Kuro said, and he did. Maybe he didn’t know what it was like to meet a clone of yourself, but he did know what it was like to find out _he_ was a clone. ‘A bit of a shock’ was most definitely an understatement.

“I’m not necessarily against it, I just-“ Shiro let a frustrated gust of breath out of his nose. He ran his natural hand through his hair, causing the strands to stick up even more. “It just might take me awhile to…come to terms with it.”

Kuro nodded slowly. “It’s not-“ He paused, heart clenching at the thought of what he was about to say. “Just because we’re soulmates doesn’t mean we have to be together. People have been known to ignore their soulbonds.”

Shiro made an aborted gesture towards Kuro’s knee, as if he’d been about to rest his hand there only to stop himself. Instead, he grabbed the water pouch again and took a sip.

“Let’s just see how things turn out, okay?” Shiro finally said, turning to look at Kuro. “I might need time to work through this, but let’s see where it takes us.”

Kuro felt a smile blossom on his face and he nodded. They sat in silence once more, watching the stars through the large window set against the opposite wall.

“I never expected colour to be so…vibrant.” Kuro said quietly.

“I never expected the food goo to be so terrifyingly neon green. I can’t believe I’ve been eating it.”

Kuro blinked and looked over at Shiro. They stared at each other for a moment before they both burst into snorts of laughter.

Yeah, Kuro could get used to this.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I’m so sorry, you guys. I’ve tried everything.” Hunk said sadly, wringing his hands together.

Shiro sighed internally, trying not to upset Hunk by showing how frustrated he was. “It’s okay, Hunk. Thanks for trying, we appreciate it.”

Shiro, Kuro, Matt and Pidge had been exploring what appeared to be an old storage room they’d discovered in the castle. Allura had settled the ship on a small planet called Levus. Her and Coran had gone to speak to the locals in an attempt to add them to their ever-growing list of allies. The human paladins had been left behind as this particular planet was too dangerous for human occupation. There was some sort of residue in the air that was toxic to them and they decided not to take the chance that something could go wrong.

And so, with the unexpected free time, they’d decided to explore. Lance had opted to have a spa day and Hunk had stayed with him so he could get a head start on dinner preparations. The rest of them had stumbled across this old storage room and, for two whole hours, they had been discovering an odd array of items within it’s walls.

Unfortunately, Shiro and Kuro had come across a strange contraption, two bracelet-like bands about the size of dinner plates. Curious, they’d both put the bands on their wrists, Kuro as a joke and Shiro so he could grab something else without putting it down.

The result was that the bands shrunk to fit their wrists and suddenly pulled them together with an invisible force.

No one had had any success figuring out how to get them off, not even Pidge and Hunk. And so, for the last hour and a half, they’d been stuck together while they waited for Allura and Coran to return in the hopes that they might recognize the technology.

“Think of it as a good ‘bonding moment’.” Matt grinned as he leaned his chair back to balance on the rear legs. Clearly, he was way too amused by the entire scenario. “You’re always going on about that bonding crap, Shiro.”

Shiro had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. Instead, he looked over at Kuro who was standing closer to Matt. Without having to say a word, Kuro seemed to understand what he was getting at, because he kicked the back of Matt’s chair causing him to fall to the floor with an indignant squawk.

“I deserved that.” Matt said from his position on the floor.

“It’s kind of terrifying how you guys can communicate without saying anything.” Hunk said, clearly impressed.

“We need every advantage we can get when dealing with you guys.” Shiro smiled, reaching down at the same time as Kuro to help Matt to his feet.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We are absolute angels.” Lance sniffed imperiously.

Shiro had to consciously hold back a snort of amusement. He turned to Kuro. “Well, we’re stuck like this, I suppose. Did you have any plans today?”

Kuro shrugged, the movement causing Shiro’s wrist to jerk up. This was going to be annoying very quickly.

“It’s really too bad, I guess we can’t do training today.” Lance said, shaking his head in mock sorrow.

“Truly unfortunate.” Hunk agreed with a nod.

“I can barely contain my disappointment.” Pidge said monotonously.

“I don’t know, I think we can put something together. Don’t say we don’t do anything for you guys.” Kuro grinned, his smile all teeth.

“Oh, well, I just remembered that I have a thing to do. With Hunk, right Hunk?” Lance said, grabbing the yellow paladin’s arm.

“I- what? Oh. Oh! Yes. Things. Very important things.” Hunk agreed, letting Lance tug him away. “Pidge, we could use your help with the things!”

Pidge rolled her eyes and didn’t even attempt to lie. She just followed them out of the room.

“Way to clear the room, big guy.” Matt grinned, looking impressed.

“It’s a special talent.” Kuro turned to Shiro. “If you had plans to do something today, maybe I could help out?”

Shiro hesitated. He was still getting used to having Kuro around. It was a little disconcerting having someone that looked almost exactly like you walking around. He also didn’t like how comfortable Kuro made him feel. He couldn’t trust that it was real. Was that how he truly felt or was the soulbond affecting it in some way? He couldn’t tell.

But he didn’t want to keep shoving Kuro away. He wanted to get past this awkwardness. He was part of the team now. They needed to figure this out.

“Sure.” Shiro smiled. “I was going to give Black a bath. She got pretty dirty last time we were out.”

“Sounds good.”

Shiro turned to Matt. “You want to join us?”

Matt looked horrified. “Nice try, cupcake. You can’t trick me into doing chores. You two go do yo’ thang. I’ll babysit the kids for you.”

Shiro and Kuro shared a glance.

“Somehow that doesn’t make me feel better.” Shiro said slowly as Kuro nodded in agreement.

“Oh my god, just go. It’ll be fiiiiiine.” Matt drawled, shooing them away.

Reluctantly, Shiro headed out the door. He could feel Kuro trailing behind him like a lost puppy. It was kind of cute.

They walked in companionable silence, footsteps tapping quietly as they headed down to the hangar. Shiro had moved Black into the loading bay so he would have more room to manoeuvre around her. The ship had cleaning rooms that would wash away the mess in seconds, but Shiro preferred to do it himself. It honestly was relaxing, and Black seemed to like it. Black’s eyes were alight when they entered the hangar and Shiro could see just how dirty she was, caked in mud and leaves. He could feel just the faintest purr of excitement brush across his senses.

“Looks like someone’s excited for some pampering.” Kuro’s grin was contagious and Shiro found himself smiling back.

“She deserves it.”

Both of them tried to move in opposite directions, Kuro towards the hose and Shiro towards the cleaning equipment. They both stumbled to a stop as their wrists jerked them back. They gave each other a sheepish look.

“Sorry.” They said simultaneously, ever courteous.

They blinked before bursting into quiet chuckles.

“Okay, maybe we do do things at the same time a lot.” Kuro said, moving towards the cleaning supplies, picking up a bucket with his free hand and setting it down near Shiro. Shiro grabbed the soap and started pouring some into it.

“I guess that’s to be expected.” Shiro allowed, watching as Kuro dumped various scrub brushes and sponges into a container to carry with them.

“I like it.” Kuro said, glancing over at him with a shy smile.

Shiro could feel his face heating up so he looked away, busying himself with the bucket.

“Let’s spray her down first.” Kuro said, gently pulling Shiro towards the hose. Shiro followed and was pleased to see Black crouch down so they could reach the top of her better. He patted her leg as they passed.

Kuro snatched up the hose. “This would be so much easier if we weren’t attached to each other.” He sighed, contemplating the hose and the cleaning supplies. They both stared awkwardly at the bucket before reaching for it with their conjoined hands.

“I’ll scrub, you rinse, and we’ll take turns going back and forth.” Shiro suggested, grabbing the cleaning supplies.

Together, they moved to Black’s hindquarters and used her tail to climb up onto her back. Kuro used the hose to fill up the bucket before starting to give her a quick spray. Shiro followed behind, scrubbing Black down thoroughly.

They stayed quiet for the most part, the only words spoken being instructions they gave each other here and there.

Shiro could feel himself relaxing. Tension he hadn’t even realized was there slowly seeping out of his shoulders. Being here with Kuro was nice. It felt natural. Warm.

They were at it for at least an hour before Kuro spoke up.

“It feels like we’re back home and washing a car.”

A disgusted rumble went through them both.

“I don’t think she appreciates being compared to a car.”

“You’re way cooler than any car.” Kuro said to Black, running his hand along one of her wings.

Shiro gave Kuro a playful look. “It’s okay, Black, _I_ don’t think you’re a car.”

Kuro stared at him. The look of betrayal in his eyes swiftly switched to a mischievous glint as he raised the hose and sprayed Shiro right in the face.

The water was really cold.

Shiro spluttered as Kuro ceased his onslaught. He could see Kuro’s shoulders shaking with laughter. Before Kuro could run for cover, Shiro grabbed the bucket and tossed its contents towards his soulmate.

Kuro tried to dodge but he forgot he was attached to Shiro. The soapy water drenched him, soaking through his black clothes in seconds and causing the already tight material to cling to every dip and divot of his torso.

Shiro swallowed, distracted by the sight.

Unfortunately, Kuro was not so preoccupied. He lunged at Shiro, wrapping his arms around him in a bear hug and consequently pressing his soaked body to Shiro’s. He then proceeded with a very effective tickle attack.

“No!” Shiro yelped, struggling to push him away in between peals of laughter. He couldn’t escape, not with their wrists attached together. Instead, he retaliated by jabbing his free hand into Kuro’s side. Kuro twitched so badly at the touch that he slipped in the water and fell, pulling Shiro down with him. Black shifted so they wouldn’t roll right off her, amusement washing over them briefly. 

Shiro managed to stop himself from crushing Kuro, bracing his hands on either side of his soulmate’s head and his knees enclosing his hips. Shiro was breathing a bit heavily, trying to catch his breath after laughing so much.

Kuro had an impish grin on his face, but it slowly morphed into something more like fondness. He reached up to Shiro, brushing his wet bangs out of his face.

Shiro blinked, heart skipping a beat at the other man’s touch. His skin felt like it was burning wherever it met Kuro’s. He swallowed.

“You should laugh more.” Kuro said quietly, not moving his hand from Shiro’s hair. It felt nice.

“So should you.” He managed to choke out.

It was only then he realized their positions, and he tried to scramble off Kuro.

That was when water sprayed them both.

They both yelped, flailing. Shiro looked up to see that Black had used her tail to lift the hose and direct it at her two paladins.

“Oh, I see how it is!” Kuro yelled, pulling himself to his feet. Black attempted to shoot him with the hose again, but Kuro was ready, holding up the bucket to block the spray.

From there it dissolved into chaos. Shiro and Kuro versus Black and, yeah, there was no way they were going to win that battle. By the end, they were all absolutely drenched and covered in a variety of soap bubbles.

“What is going on here?” A voice demanded.

Shiro’s back straightened and he looked over to see the princess and Coran standing in the doorway and taking in the pandemonium.

“Just bath time, Princess.” Kuro said, rubbing the back of his head.

“And why are the two of you connected by a pair of Floxim bracelets?” Coran asked, giving them an odd look.

“What?” Shiro blinked. He’d forgotten they were basically handcuffed together. In the mayhem of clashing with Black, Shiro and Kuro had been fighting as one. “Oh. We found these in one of the rooms and accidentally activated them.”

Allura stepped forward and grabbed Kuro’s wrist, inspecting the bracelet. “These are engagement bracelets,” She advised, face darkening with a blush. “Usually the only way to get them off is to…to consummate the marriage.”

Shiro put his face into his hand in an attempt to hide his blush. Well, this was embarrassing.

“Don’t you worry, I can get those off for you in a tick! Come with me.” Coran announced, gesturing for them to follow.

Shiro and Kuro shared a look.

Kuro gestured for Shiro to go first. “Freedom beckons.”

If Shiro felt a bit disappointed about that, he decided not to look into it too closely.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kuro hated this fucking heat with the burning passion of a thousand suns.

They’d come to this godforsaken planet to find a set of sacred stones that had been stolen by the Galra. These stones were holy relics to the people of Halexxl, used to commune with their gods over every important life decision. With the stones missing, order had collapsed, and they were in dire straights. For such an advanced planet, they still had some very odd beliefs.

Kuro didn’t understand why they couldn’t just, you know, make their own decisions, but they needed those stones in order to commune with their gods and confirm an alliance with Voltron. Halexxl was in an extremely advantageous position strategically, and if they wanted to defeat the remaining Galra not under Lotor’s command, it was worth some discomfort on the paladin’s part.

Okay, a lot of discomfort.

Kuro wiped sweat from his brow for the billionth time. What the people of Halexxl had neglected to tell them was that the Galra had taken the stones to Rovkosh, a planet covered in hundreds of active volcanoes. Why they’d chosen such an inconvenient location, Kuro would never know, but if he found the person who made that decision, he’d throw them into one of these damn volcanoes himself. 

“I see movement up ahead.” Shiro called out from ahead of him and Kuro followed him to duck down behind a large rock.

There were three stones they needed to collect. Hunk and Pidge had split off to find the red stone. Sensors had indicated it was underground, so Hunk’s lion was helping them dig down to it. Allura and Lance had gone over to the large lake far to the north, the only body of water on this stupid planet. They were aiming for the yellow stone. Blue was best in the water, so Allura was preparing for an underwater search.

That left the green stone to Shiro and Kuro. The green stone which was at the top of the largest volcano on the planet.

The fumes from the volcanoes caused havoc to the lion’s sensors, so they’d been forced to leave Black about halfway up the volcano and walk the rest of the way up because, of course, nothing ever went easily for them. Their armor had heat regulators inside, but even with that it was still unbearably hot.

“What is that?” Shiro whispered.

Kuro peeked around Shiro’s shoulder before quickly bringing his head back behind the boulder as a large plume of fire nearly engulfed the rock. They crouched together tightly as the rock shielded them from the flames.

As the flames died down, Kuro looked at Shiro’s wide eyes. “I think that’s a dragon.”

“Uh, Coran? Matt? We could use some support over here.” Shiro called to the radio just as a loud screech echoed around them, causing them both to wince at the sound. Bits of rock and sediment rattled down the side of the volcano. “Quickly.” Shiro added.

“We’re a little busy at the moment!” Coran’s voice sounded strained. “Allura and Lance have stumbled upon a Plsglabrig!”

Shiro looked at Kuro in question but he just shrugged.

“Uh, we’ve woken something too. It’s a giant mole…thing Except it has tentacles.” Hunk’s voice was on the edge of total panic.

Okay, so _that’s_ why the Galra decided to bring the stones here. Yeah, someone was definitely getting thrown into a volcano for putting them through this.

“Hunk, look out!” Pidge screamed before cutting off into static.

Shiro and Kuro didn’t have time to consider the implications of that as the dragon let out another loud screech before the boulder in front of them shattered to pieces. The dragon’s tail smacked into them both, knocking them down hard. Kuro skidded along the rocky ground, managing to stop himself by digging his Galra hand into the earth.

To his right, Shiro had done the same, only just barely catching himself before he fell over the lip of the volcano.

The dragon roared, stomping one of it’s large feet and causing the ground to shake alarmingly. Kuro watched in growing terror as it spread two large, leathery wings. They flapped slowly, but every movement sent a gust of wind that threatened to send them flying again. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to get blown away.

The dragon took to the air, circling around them predatorily.

“Shiro!” Kuro called, taking the brief respite to rush over to his soulmate.

“I’m fine.” Shiro said, pulling himself to his feet with Kuro’s help. “We need to get the stone and get out of here.”

Kuro checked his sensors; the indicator showed the presence of the stone 20 feet ahead. Without a word they both bolted towards a cave up ahead. The dragon roared in outrage, swooping low to shoot a gout of flame at them. Kuro dove to the left just as Shiro moved to the right, using their jet packs to give them a burst of speed. Kuro could feel the flames licking at his back, scorching his armor.

The dragon swept back up to the sky, moving to circle back towards them.

They dove ran into the cave together, just as the dragon swooped back down to claw at them. One of it’s talons raked across Kuro’s back and his jetpack shattered apart from the impact. He fell forward hard, the wind knocked right out of him.

“Kuro!” Shiro called, pulling him further into the cave. Outside, the dragon thundered its frustration. It was only a matter of time before it decided to shoot a burst of flame into this cave and roast them alive.

“I’m okay, the jetpack got the worst of it.” Kuro wheezed, trying to regain his breath.

“Coran?” Shiro called out as they moved further into the cave. Kuro turned on his flashlight to light the way. “Pidge? Allura? Lance? Hunk?”

The coms continued with static.

“Looks like we’re on our own.” Kuro said.

They rounded a slight corner in the cave and were relieved to find the green stone sitting on a small pedestal in the corner. Kuro snatched it up and handed it to Shiro who stowed it away in his pack.

“Alright, we need to get away from this thing and back to Black. From there we can take care of the dragon and help the others.” Shiro said, making sure his pack was secure.

“If we use your jetpack, do you think it can handle us both?”

Shiro paused, considering. “It might be the only option we have to get down quickly.”

Kuro didn’t like those odds, but they didn’t have much of a choice at this point.

“Okay, lets run to the east side and jump.”

Kuro moved to head back to the entrance but Shiro grabbed his arm. He turned back to give him a curious look.

Shiro hesitated, looking uncomfortable. Was he blushing? His hand not holding on to Kuro was clenching and unclenching nervously.

Kuro waited, not wanting to push. Finally, Shiro let him go and stepped back.

“Just…just be careful.”

Kuro felt disappointment well up inside him.

“I-“ He swallowed, turning away. “You too.”

There were a couple beats of awkward silence before Kuro stepped forward. “Let’s go.”

Without waiting to see if Shiro was following, he took off in a jog, increasing his pace as he neared the cave entrance. He could hear Shiro’s footsteps behind him as they tore along the volcano top, running as fast as they could for the east side.

Above them, the dragon roared, the sound of wings beating drew near. They were so close to the edge. They just had to-

“Ju-“ Shiro started to yell, but his voice was cut off with a cry of pain.

Kuro hardly had a chance to register it as something heavy collided with his side, knocking him away from the edge of the volcano. Again, he went flying, skidding along the dirt and rocks with frightening speed. His fingers clawed at the ground to try and stop himself, and he felt one or two snap in his natural hand.

He stopped himself just in time to avoid getting stepped on as the dragon’s foot came crashing down inches from his face. He didn’t even think as a year’s worth of memories from the arena caused him to move on auto-pilot. He activated his Galra arm and raked it along the underside of the dragon’s clawed foot as it lifted.

The dragon’s screech of agony was so loud that Kuro cried out in pain himself and tried to clap his hands to his ears but his helmet blocked his efforts.

The dragon crashed forward onto it’s belly, wings sprawled out awkwardly. Kuro jumped to his feet, ready to press his advantage.

  
Shiro was already up and running along the dragon’s back, using his jetpack to launch himself higher. Kuro didn’t have that luxury and was forced to jump onto the tail, using it as a ramp onto the back. The dragon scrambled to get up, nearly knocking Kuro off his feet with the movement. He managed to grab onto a large scale as the dragon stood, wings beating as it tried to take off.

Kuro felt like his stomach had fallen into the vicinity of his knees as the dragon took off, the ground fading away rapidly as they soared up into the dark clouds.

This was bad. How the hell were they going to get back down?

He looked up. Shiro was clinging to a scale up near the dragon’s neck. Kuro strained to reach forward, struggling to grip onto another scale with broken fingers. Painstakingly slowly, he inched his way closer to Shiro. The wind threatened to unseat him, sliding under his body and lifting him repeatedly with its strength. Several times he almost lost his grip and his heart pounded at the thought of falling to his death.

“Kuro!” Shiro called to him as he drew closer. “We need to kill it!”

“Are you-“ Kuro yelped as he almost lost his grip again. He flattened himself back down. “Serious!?”

“It will crash back down. If I time it just right, I can protect us from being crushed with my jetpack!”

It was a bad plan. It was a crazy plan. He would be insane to even consider it.

Why was he considering it?!

Shiro inched closer to the dragon’s neck. It seemed he wasn’t giving Kuro much of a choice here. Kuro grit his teeth, moving forward.

Shiro crawled up the dragon’s neck. His Galra hand glowed purple.

He brought his hand down into a stabbing motion. Sizzling smoke and green blood burst forth in a shower of burning hot liquid. The dragon’s head whipped back and forth, wings flailing in an attempt to save itself, but it was futile. Shiro cried out as its movements dislodged his grip and he tumbled down the dragon’s back.

Kuro reached out and by some miracle he managed to grab Shiro’s hand as he passed. The broken fingers in his left hand cried out in agony as Shiro clung tightly to him. Kuro’s Galra hand dug into the scale he was holding onto.

The dragon’s movements turned sluggish and it started to lose altitude, the screeches turning into whimpers before finally dying out completely. Kuro’s stomach jumped from his knees to his throat as they started to fall, picking up speed as they went. He thought he was going to throw up.

The wind rushed by him, whipping his legs and Shiro back and forth. He would have lost his grip on the dragon ages ago if he hadn’t been holding on with his Galra hand. As it was, they were approaching the top of the volcano at an alarming rate.

“Ready?” Shiro called, voice strained. Kuro barely heard it over the roaring wind.

Well, here goes nothing.

“Let go!” Shiro yelled and Kuro closed his eyes as he let go. There was an odd moment where he almost felt like he was floating in zero gravity before Shiro’s jetpack jerked them up. He could hear the loud boom of the dragon crashing into the volcano. Dust and dirt swept through the air. Even with the jetpack, trying to hold up two people was obviously too much for it. They hit the ground hard and Kuro lost his grip on Shiro during the impact. His eyes snapped open and he realized he was rolling towards the lip of the volcano. Frantically, he scrabbled for purchase.

“Kuro!” Shiro screamed at him as he went flying over the edge.

Kuro could feel the heat from the lava, even with the armor it was overwhelmingly hot. He reached for the lip, fingers straining to reach but it was too far, he was going to fall into the lava, he was-

A hand wrapped around his wrist in an iron grip, stopping him short.

He smashed into the side of the inner volcano, knocking the breath out of him. The hand clutching his wrist tightened enough to break bone and Kuro moaned in pain as it snapped.

Trembling in agony, he looked up.

Shiro was bent half over the edge, his Galra hand wrapped around Kuro’s wrist. The visor of his helmet was cracked, the spiderweb of fractures making it hard to see his face. His body shook with the strain of holding Kuro and it took a moment to realize why. Shiro’s shoulder, the one connected to his Galra arm, was bent at an odd angle, the armor cracked and dented.

Shiro was holding him with an injured arm.

“Shiro, let me go!”

Shiro’s eyes were closed and his teeth gritted together. He managed a tiny shake of his head.

“You can’t pull me up! Let me go!”

Shiro’s eyes snapped open, defiance shining brightly in his dark eyes.

“No.” He growled lowly. He inched back slowly, gasping with pain and the strain of pulling on his arm.

“Takashi!” Kuro yelled. He was terrified that if Shiro didn’t let go, he would fall with him. He couldn’t let that happen. “I’m just a spare.” He said quietly, but still loud enough to be heard over the roiling lava below.

“You’re not!” Shiro yelled furiously, moving back even farther. Kuro cried out as his grip tightened even more on his wrist, his broken bones rubbing together.

“Takashi, please!” He reached up, trying to pry Shiro’s hand open even though it was useless. He would never be able to stop the Galra hand.

Shiro didn’t even answer him. With a desperate roar, he gave one hard yank. His Galra arm whirred loudly and to Kuro’s astonishment, he managed yank him up high enough that Kuro could grip the edge with his own Galra arm and help pull himself up.

Shiro collapsed back, pushing himself away from the edge of the volcano. He lay on the ground, chest heaving. Kuro collapsed beside him, his wrist still clutched in Shiro’s hand. It hurt, but he didn’t want him to let go.

They both removed their helmets to let the wind waft over them, laying there for a few moments. They were shaking with the remnants of adrenaline and pain. They’d just defeated a dragon. A _dragon_.

Kuro struggled to his feet and Shiro let him go. He reached for Shiro with his Galra hand, intending to help him up, but the other man slapped it away in rage. Kuro’s stomach dropped at the eyes snapping at him with a furious fire.

“You asshole.” Shiro growled as he stood up, shoving him hard with his uninjured arm.

Kuro stumbled back with the force of it. “Wh-“

“Shut up.” Shiro’s voice was low and shaking with pent up emotion.

“I-“

“I said, shut. Up!” Shiro shoved him again before gripping the front of his chestplate and pulling him in. Shiro’s hand darted out and grabbed the back of Kuro’s neck, using that to pull him into a one-armed hug. Shiro’s Galra arm hung uselessly at his side, but his natural hand was warm on the back of his neck. His trembling fingers carted into Kuro’s hair.

“You’re not a spare.” Shiro said softly, lips brushing Kuro’s ear. A pleasant shiver rolled down his spine at the sensation.

“I-“

“You’re _not_.” Shiro insisted, leaning back to press their foreheads together.

Kuro could feel a blush sweeping over his face at the tender touch.

Shiro made him want to believe it, made him feel like maybe one day he actually would.

He opened his mouth to agree, to brush it off like it was nothing, but the look in Shiro’s eyes told him he knew the truth. He _knew_.

Kuro’s smile felt broken, but it was all he had to offer at the moment. Shiro’s grip tightened on the back of his neck briefly before he stepped back. 

“Now, let’s get back to Black. The others could be in trouble.”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“And then Allura was like ‘Oh no, Lance, it’s coming this way’ and I was like ‘Don’t worry, babe, Blue’s got lasers’ and-“

“We seem to have different recollections as to what happened. I seem to remember you screaming and clutching my arm so hard I had trouble controlling Blue.”

“No, no, no, you hit your head pretty hard. I’m not surprised you don’t remember.”

“I think I would remember a giant Plsglabrig heading towards us.”

“What the hell is a Plus..gab..thing?” Hunk asked as he set the last dish on the table and settled into his seat.

It was the first time everyone had been able to gather together to eat as a few of them had had to be put into the pods to heal after their ordeal with the Halexxl stones. Everyone wanted to know what had happened to the others while they fought off their respective monsters. Allura and Lance went first, regaling them with tales of their battle against the Plsglabrig.

“It looks a lot like a female Malexnid!” Coran interjected, tweaking his moustache. “Truly terrifying.”

“I-I don’t know what a Malex…nid is.” Hunk frowned.

“It kinda looked like a stingray but with ram horns and five tails.” Lance supplied, heaping food onto his plate.

“Interesting…” Pidge said, munching on her food.

Shiro kept quiet. He’d been stuck in the pod for only a few hours, but it was a few hours too many. He didn’t like the feeling of being in them. It was cold and dark and he couldn’t wake up. Kuro didn’t look any better, moving his food around on his plate. It looked like his hand was trembling. Shiro’s concern deepened.

“Well, eventually we were able to trap it in an underground cave long enough to grab the stone and make a hasty retreat.” Allura continued. 

“Well, that’s nothing compared to the thing we fought.” Pidge said, sitting up straighter in her chair. “It was huge and could dig through the earth so fast it might as well have been swimming!”

Hunk shuddered. “I didn’t like it.”

“Didn’t you say it looked like a mole rat with tentacles? That’s disgusting.” Lance muttered around a mouthful of food.

“Yeah I was able to distract it long enough for Pidge to set up an electrical trap with some junk we found around the stone. I felt bad for hurting it though.” Hunk said sadly, shuffling his food around his plate.

“It was you or him, buddy. You had no choice.” Lance said consolingly, patting him on the shoulder.

“What enemy did you two have to face?” Allura asked, turning to Shiro and Kuro.

It took Shiro a moment too long to realize he was being asked a question. He was too focused on Kuro. Thankfully, Kuro spoke up.

“Oh, we fought a dragon.” He said distractedly.

Lance spit his food out onto the table. “What!?” He squawked, staring at them as Hunk slapped his back.

“That must have been an interesting aerial battle in Black.” Pidge said, adjusting her glasses.

Shiro blinked. “Oh, we didn’t have Black.”

The table fell silent, even Hunk stopped slapping Lance’s back.

“You’re telling me you two fought a dragon…without a Lion?” Pidge asked.

Kuro and Shiro nodded simultaneously.

The table erupted into chaos as everyone tried to say something at once. Hunk was panicking over their sanity, Lance was impressed, Pidge wanted to know how and Allura was furious.

“Why would you fight such a beast without a Lion?” Allura snapped, frowning at them.

“The volcano fumes were messing with Black’s sensors. We could only take her halfway up the volcano.” Shiro said calmly, trying to bring down the energy.

“It’s fine, it’s dead and we’re both okay.” Kuro’s tone matched Shiro’s.

“So badass.” Lance whispered, staring at them with wide eyes.

“Can we stop talking about this? We have the stones, and everyone is safe.” Shiro said, feeling suddenly very weary. He just wanted to go lay down and read some reports or look over star charts or something equally relaxing.

“Shiro’s right. Let’s eat up and call it an early night. We’ve earned it.” Allura agreed, giving them all a smile.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_“The Champion has done it again, ladies and gentlemen! He has defeated Gorlok in a truly gruelling match. This is a fight to remember, folks! Such tenacity, such strength! Both sides fought with everything they had, but in the end The Champion reigned supreme!”_

_The crowed roared but to Shiro it was strangely muffled. It faded in and out with his pounding heartbeat. In a daze, he looked up at their screaming faces. It was hard to focus with his vision swimming and one eye glued shut by blood and sand._

_Did he win?_

_He couldn’t remember. Where was his opponent? He turned but a searing pain in his right arm made him pause. He was hurt. Injuries were bad here._

_The guards were heading for him now, tasers ready._

_Did he win?_

_He must have won. The guards only came for him when he won._

_His arm hurt. He looked down at it and his heart stopped. Blood trickled down it, tiny rivulets cutting through the dirt and grime. White bone punctured the skin near his elbow and again near his wrist. No. Nonononono. This was bad. He couldn’t fight like this. He couldn’t-_

_“On your knees.” One of the guards commanded. Behind him, the witch Haggar glided towards him._

_Shiro could feels his breaths coming in sharp gasps. The arena tilted around him as if he was trapped on a tiny ship in the middle of a storm of howling faces. She was coming for him. She was_ coming _._

_“My, my Champion. This simply won’t do.” She tutted, inspecting his arm. Pain erupted as she tilted and twisted it, uncaring of the discomfort her actions caused. He swallowed back nausea._

_What came next were straps and prods and pain, pain, pain. Lasers and saws and burning, hot agony. He was crying, pleading, stopstopstop. Screaming. He was screaming._

He was screaming.

“Shiro!” A voice said loudly and Shiro _snapped_.

With a cry, he activated his arm and struck, only to be stopped short by a matching hand gripping his wrist.

_Trapped. Trapped. Cold hands gripping his arms. Straps digging into his flesh-_

“Takashi!” A voice barked, and he blinked.

He was in his room, the lights dimmed to simulate night. There was just enough glow from the blue lights for him to see Kuro standing beside his bed, still gripping his wrist. Shiro panted heavily, struggling to breathe, just _breathe_ -

“Shhh, shhh, you’re here, you’re fine. It’s safe.” Kuro said gently, adjusting his grip so their fingers entwined instead. He reached for Shiro’s natural hand and brought it up to his own chest. Shiro could feel Kuro’s heartbeat through his thin t-shirt, slightly fast but not the pounding terror of Shiro’s own. “Breathe with me, c’mon.”

Shiro took in a shuddering breath, fingers trembling against Kuro’s chest. Sweat trickled down his temple. His whole body was shaking uncontrollably as panic battered at his self-control like a flag during a tornado.

“In, and hold, and out. Count with me.” Kuro said calmly, coaching Shiro to breathe because, apparently, he’d forgotten how to do it himself.

Painstakingly slowly, the panic started to ebb as Shiro’s breath evened out to a more reasonable level. It took longer for the shaking to subside. He was clutching Kuro’s t-shirt so tightly he was surprised he hadn’t ripped it.

At least he wasn’t crying.

The absence of panic left Shiro exhausted, but not so exhausted that he couldn’t feel embarrassed. He was used to dealing with these things on his own, where no one could see him fall apart. Mostly he tried to keep himself busy enough that they wouldn’t happen.

Shiro opened his mouth to apologize, to say he was fine, but stopped at the look in Kuro’s eyes. There was no sympathy there, only understanding. The kind that only came from someone who knew exactly how he was feeling because _it happened to him too_.

Shockingly, the embarrassment washed away to be replaced with warm fondness.

“Thank you.” He said instead, and he knew it was the right thing to say when Kuro lit up like fireworks in the night sky.

“Anytime.”

Shiro looked at him intently. “Me too.”

Kuro blinked and then reached forward, pulling Shiro into a warm embrace. “Thank you in advance then.”

Shiro’s heartbeat sped up for a completely different reason this time.

“Can you stay?” He found himself asking before he could stop himself.

Shiro could feel Kuro smile against his neck and he shivered.

“Of course.” Kuro whispered, kicking off his slippers to crawl up into the bed beside Shiro. He snuggled up behind him, wrapping an arm loosely around Shiro’s waist and burrowing his nose into Shiro’s hair with a content sigh.

Shiro smiled into his pillow.

Maybe it was weird. Maybe some people would think it was wrong.

But Shiro was happy and maybe, just maybe, he’d get to keep something good for once.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the end, it was inevitable that they would find out.

“Shiro, could you pass me that blue cup?” Lance asked absentmindedly. “Oh shit, wait! Sorry-” He paused, turning to look at Shiro. His eyes widened when he realized the other man was already reaching for the correct cup.

Shiro could see colour. If Shiro could see colour, then that meant...

Lance stared at Shiro.

Shiro stared at Lance.

Kuro stared at them both.

Suddenly, Lance’s face lit up like the sun. His eyes widened, and he had the biggest grin on his face that Kuro had ever seen. His chest puffed up and his cheeks went red and- oh no, he was about to squeal.

Frantic, Kuro darted forward, slamming his hand over Lance’s mouth just in time to muffle the noise. Lance’s blue eyes squinted at Kuro, looking betrayed, before grabbing his hand and yanking it away.

“Shiro! You found your soulmate!? That’s awesome! Who is it? Wait. We haven’t met anyone new since you got back...except...”

Shiro glanced at Kuro, panic in his eyes but Kuro didn’t know what to _do_. It was too late, Lance would never let this slide. He also wasn’t an idiot, especially when it came to people. He was going to figure it out.

“Wait a minute. Is it Lotor?” Lance scowled, his earlier euphoria disappearing within seconds. “Shiro, buddy, please tell me it’s not him. I still don’t trust that guy! I mean, yeah, he’s super hot but, like, no. Just, no.”

Shiro sighed, shoulders slumping. “It’s not Lotor.” 

“No?” Lance brightened again, and Kuro could see the gears cranking in his head. “But, if it’s not him then...” He trailed off, looking between the two of them. He stiffened abruptly before jumping up from his chair.

“Oh. My. God.”

“Lance.” Kuro interjected in an attempt to save them both from embarrassment.

“Oh my God.”

“Lance!” Kuro barked, feeling his face heat up against his wishes. A quick look at Shiro confirmed he was having the same problem.

“ _Oh my God!_ No way! Shiro! You’re soulmates with _yourself_!?”

Kuro felt his stomach sink. They were still trying to work through this development and they were worried about people making fun of them for this. It wasn’t like either of them had any control over the situation and neither of them enjoyed that feeling. But they were working through it. Slowly. He was afraid that if Lance joked about it too much, it would ruin what little progress they had managed to make.

Shiro looked stiff and uncomfortable so Kuro drifted a few steps closer to his soulmate to comfort him. Lance was on too much of a roll to notice.

“But, dude, this is great! You two are perfect for each other!” Lance looked so excited, practically vibrating with happiness.

Kuro and Shiro blinked simultaneously. “We are?”

Lance clutched at his heart dramatically. “Oh God, you guys are going to _kill_ me! This is adorable. I need a photo. Where’s my phone?”  He flailed around the kitchen, picking up random things in an attempt to find it. “But, seriously, I’m so happy for you guys! What better person to be with than someone who understands you so well?” He paused, still holding up a dish towel and gave them both a serious look. “And, you know, everything that you both went through.”

Kuro and Shiro shared a look.

“Okay, seriously, you guys need to stop doing things at the same time. It’s too cute and I can’t handle it.” Lance said, shaking his head. 

“You don’t think it’s…weird?” Shiro asked hesitantly.

“Love is love, man.” Lance shrugged. “You’re both adults, I don’t care.”

Kuro felt an overwhelming amount of gratitude for Lance’s stance on love. Though Lance (and probably Matt) was the most likely to tease, it was nice to know that, in the end, they had his approval. He didn’t know how the rest of the team would react to it. He felt like they wouldn’t mind, but they, or Shiro, had been wrong in the past.

“That means a lot, Lance. Thank you.” Shiro said sincerely, offering him a smile.

“No problem! So, we need to have a party or something. It’s tradition for when someone finds their soulmate! This is gonna be awesome, let me get Hunk-“ He cut himself off to run from the kitchen.

Kuro looked over at Shiro. “Is this okay?”

Shiro’s eyes darted over to him and then away just as quickly. He was looking at the floor and almost looked…shy? He shifted, and their fingers brushed. Instead of backing away, Shiro grabbed Kuro’s hand and entwined their fingers together. Kuro’s heart decided to do some jumping jacks. What the hell was wrong with him, he was acting like a teenager!

Regardless, Kuro was ridiculously happy just to be holding hands. He squeezed Shiro’s hand and offered him a smile.

It only took a minute for Hunk to come barrelling into the room, Lance on his heels.

“What’s this I hear!?” Hunk yelled, running up to them and grabbing their conjoined hands. He stared at them both, face surprisingly serious before it cracked as tears started to well up in his eyes. “I’m so happy for you guys.” He whispered, voice wobbly.

“Right!?” Lance agreed, fluttering around the kitchen like a drunken fly. “We need streamers, we need balloons, we need-“

“Food!” Hunk exclaimed letting go of their hands to go inspect the ‘not-a-refrigerator’. “I am going to make all of the things.” He rolled up his sleeves.

Shiro blinked, looking overwhelmed. Kuro certainly felt the same.

“Really, you guys, you don’t need t-“ Shiro started, but cut himself off as Lance gasped in horror.

“No, Shiro!” He said, pointing the spatula he was handing to Hunk at them, his other hand on his hip. “Hunk and I had an awesome party after we found each other. We had a party for Pidge and Allura when _they_ found each other. We are having a party. It’s _tradition_.”

“What’s a tradition?” Pidge’s voice sounded from the doorway. Matt was standing behind her, chin resting on her head. “I heard Hunk barrelling down the hall and thought I’d find out what was going on.” She paused, taking in the chaos. “Are we having a party?” 

Kuro felt Shiro’s hand twitch in his and he gave it another squeeze.

“It’s a soulbond party! Shiro found his soulmate. Tell ‘em, Shiro!” Lance said excitedly as Hunk directed him around the kitchen to grab various ingredients.

“Uh…” Shiro trailed off, looking nervous.

Pidge narrowed her eyes, taking in their conjoined hands and matching stiff postures. Kuro could almost see her brilliant mind as it connected all the pieces. “Really?” She said, eyebrows raising nearly to her hairline.

“What? What?” Matt asked, pressing into the room. The kitchen was getting a bit crowded. His eyes followed the same path as his sister’s before widening. His face split into a shit-eating grin.

Kuro looked up at the ceiling as if it might offer him an escape from Matt. It was coming.

“If you gotta _do_ something right, might as well _do_ it yourself, eh Shiro?”

There it was.

Shiro and Kuro groaned at the same time.

He was thankful that everyone was being so accepting, but he could already tell this was going to be a long day.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shiro came to in darkness.

He blinked as things started to come into focus. The small lights in his armor lit up the tiny space he was in, though they flickered occasionally. He turned his head and dust mixed with bits of rock and plaster tumbled around him. The dust made him sneeze and-

Oh, fuck that hurt.

Spots danced before his eyes and he tried to breathe carefully through the pain.

Where was he?

Blearily, he looked around again. It was hard to see but he was surrounded by rock and twisted metal. Hadn’t he been in a building?

He couldn’t see the sky.

Shiro coughed wetly, moaning as the movement caused his body to scream in agony. Something dark splattered onto the concrete below him, some of it mixing with the dark liquid that had already pooled there. More kept dripping into the puddle from somewhere above it. Was it dripping from him?

Where was he?

He tried to move but he was stuck. Something heavy was on his legs and torso, weighing him down. His Galra arm was the only limb free and it was looking a little worse for wear. His forearm had a giant dent in it, leaving gaps big enough that he could see the inner workings. His middle finger and index were bent at what would have been a horrifying angle if it had been a real hand. As it was, it was the only part of him that wasn’t in pain.

Why couldn’t he see the sky?

Dimly, he could hear tiny voices. He couldn’t tell what they were saying, but the tone was frantic. After some searching he realized his helmet was nearby. It was crushed badly but the lights were still on. The voices were coming from it. His team?

Slowly, every movement agonizing, he inched his Galra hand towards it. He had to stop and prompt himself to breathe a few times. Once or twice, he had to remind himself what he was doing.

Eventually, his ring finger curled around the edge of his visor and with a flick he managed to role the helmet closer to him. From there he could hear the voices more clearly.

“We need to get someone down there, clear them out!” Allura’s voice snapped.

“We don’t have _time_ , his vitals-“ Pidge’s voice sounded scared. Shiro frowned. She shouldn’t be scared. He was supposed to protect her. Protect all of them.

He opened his mouth to call out to her, to let her know he was fine but instead he just coughed, more of the dark liquid splashing onto his grimy helmet.

“Shiro!” Kuro’s voice was frantic.

“Mmm.” Shiro managed, struggling to get his breath back.

“Oh, thank God.” Hunk sounded relieved, but the worry was still there.

“Shiro, buddy, hold on.” Lance cut in, trying for levity and falling far, far short. “We’re coming for you just as soon as these guys back off.”

“’s fine.” Shiro mumbled.

He couldn’t see the _sky_.

“He doesn’t have time, I’m going.” Kuro said darkly.

There was a beat of silence before the others agreed.

“Go, we’ll hold them off. Coran, is the pod ready?” Allura commanded.

“Of course, princess. I can prep a pod faster than a Narlei can pop a grunslim!”

“Shiro, I need you to stay with us. Keep talking.” Kuro said, voice urgent.

Keep talking? Shiro didn’t know what to say.

It was cold. He shivered and couldn’t seem to stop once he’d started. He blinked slowly, trying to focus. His head kept drooping forward, the effort of holding it up was exhausting. He was supposed to be doing something.

“Shiro!” Kuro yelled.

“’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Keep talking, c’mon.”

“Dunno what t’ say.” He said, somewhat petulantly.

“Tell me about Earth.”

Shiro frowned. The flickering lights of his armor winked out, leaving him in darkness. He couldn’t _see_. His heart lurched before he realized his eyes were closed again. He snorted, amused as he pried them open once more. The light was still there, his eyes were just…they were so heavy.

He was so tired.

What were they talking about? Oh, right.

“Don’ really miss ‘t.” He managed, voice quiet. He could feel the rock and metal shifting above him. He wondered if he would die before or after it crushed him.

“Why not?” A voice asked and Shiro couldn’t quite tell whose voice it was through their choked voice. Maybe Lance.

“’s lonely.” He whispered, unable to raise his voice any higher. The rocks shifted again, settling more heavily on him and making it even harder to breathe. “Might be bett’r…now that I…have you…K-kuro.”

Where was he?

He just needed to rest.

He could hear voices calling his name with increasing urgency, but he couldn’t bring himself to reply. The dark liquid around him rippled with each drip, drip, drip. He was cold. He should sleep. Maybe then he could escape the ice crawling through his veins.

Everyone’s voices were blurring together, and he closed his eyes.

“Shiro, please, answer me.” Kuro’s voice sounded so frightened. He wished he could kiss him.

“’s up t’ you now.” Shiro managed to slur, voice so quiet even he could barely hear it.

“Don’t say that!” Hunk sounded like he was crying and Shiro wished he could give him a hug.

 _He couldn’t see the sky_.

It bothered him _so much_.

This wasn’t how he thought he would die, in the cold and dark, buried under a mountain of rubble. He always thought he would die in the sky. He was going to miss them all. He should let them know that. And Kuro, he needed to tell him. He need to tell him how important he was, how much happier Shiro was ever since he came along. He tried to speak, but he couldn’t force his mouth open, couldn’t force the words out.

“Shiro!” Kuro’s voice cracked.

“Kuro…I…”

The rocks shifted once more, and darkness overtook him.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kuro stood stiffly beside the healing pod. Shiro had been in it for the last two days, face slack and emotionless as the pod did its work. Kuro hated seeing Shiro in there, hated knowing what he might be dreaming of and knowing he couldn’t wake up. He shivered slightly at the ice buildup around the window. Absently, his finger traced the hand-shaped scar on his thigh through his pants.

No, he didn’t like the cold.

Coran estimated that the pod would open at some point today, though he couldn’t be one hundred percent certain.

Kuro’s fingers clenched and unclenched around the blanket he was holding. On one of the steps was a thermos of hot chocolate, or the closest thing to it Hunk had managed, waiting to warm Shiro once he stepped put of the pod.

Kuro tapped his foot, feeling increasingly restless. He’d hardly slept in the last two days. The others hadn’t been much better until Shiro scraped by the critical stage and into stable. Once they knew he would be okay, Kuro ordered them to go to bed. They fought him, of course, but eventually gave in when he advised them Shiro would be upset if they didn’t rest because of him.

Hypocritical, yes, but the truth.

Kuro looked at the pod again. No change.

God, he was so tired. But he couldn’t rest. Not until Shiro opened his eyes.

With a sigh, he allowed himself to start pacing the room. Listening to Shiro dying over the coms was an experience he never wanted to have again. He’d never felt so useless as he raced towards his soulmate, Black's sensors showing how critical Shiro's state was. It had taken every ounce of patience and planning to carefully remove the rubble so as not to crush Shiro in the attempt. He’d made it, but only just barely.

He didn’t want to think about that.

Kuro moved up to the pod again, placing his hand on the window. They’d known each other now for a few months and in that time Kuro felt they’d gotten closer. Neither of them were the best at dealing with emotions, more content to bottle them up and keep themselves busy helping others with their problems instead, but he felt they’d made a lot of progress.

It should have been shocking how much the thought of losing Shiro had terrified him.

When he thought about it, it wasn’t shocking at all. The feelings were there, growing stronger every minute he spent with the other man.

Did Shiro feel the same way about him?

Kuro let his hand fall to swing down by his side. He knew he was more impulsive than Shiro. He’d been more accepting of this soulbond, as strange as it was, than Shiro had been. He was making a concerted effort to be more open with himself and with the others. Shiro struggled with that still, even now. Kuro didn’t know what the difference was. Maybe having memories was different than actually experiencing them.

They were similar, but they weren’t exactly the same.

Kuro didn’t want to live life with regrets, not if he could help it.

He was pulled from his musings at a quiet beep. His head snapped up sharply as the pod doors opened, smoke issuing from the confines. Shiro stumbled out, looking disoriented and sleepy. Kuro was wrapping him up in the blanket and trapping him in a hug before he really registered anything. If he was clutching at Shiro more desperately than usual, the other man declined to comment on it.

Shiro rested his head on Kuro’s shoulder. “I’d hug you, but you’ve turned me into a burrito.”

Kuro tried to laugh, but instead it came out as a wet-sounding sob.  

Shiro pulled back, frowning at him. “Kuro…” He struggled with the blanket, likely trying to free his arms. Shiro paused when Kuro gripped his arms, looking up into his eyes questioningly.

Kuro stared, dark eyes taking in an identical pair that were shifting with so many emotions he couldn’t quite pinpoint one. His lips hovered over Shiro’s, their breaths mingling in the cool air emanating from the pod.

He’d almost lost Shiro. He couldn’t do that again. He couldn’t leave things unsaid.

Shiro must have seen something in Kuro’s eyes because he closed his own and leaned forward the extra centimetre, their lips meeting softly.

Kuro’s hands spasmed where they gripped Shiro’s biceps, heart pounding furiously with excitement. Being with Shiro felt better than his first time flying the simulator at the Garrison, when he smashed the course record by a landslide. It was better than learning he’d been accepted for the Kerberos mission. It was even better than going further into space than any human ever had before. They might not have really happened to him, but he could still remember what it felt like.

He felt right.

He felt complete.

He felt loved.

Shiro’s blanket slipped to the floor but he didn’t seem to notice. He reached up, trembling fingers carding through Kuro’s slightly longer hair to grip the back of his head. Their kiss deepened, bodies pressed so closely together Kuro could feel the chill lingering in Shiro’s body from the pod. He shivered, sliding a warm hand around Shiro’s waist, palm flat against his back. 

Kuro pulled back just enough to rest his forehead against his soulmate’s.

“ _Aishiteru_.” He whispered in Japanese.

Shiro’s eyes sparkled as he smiled. “ _Boku mo aishiteimasu_.”

 

Beautiful fanart by [skydarko](https://skydarko.tumblr.com/)!!

**Author's Note:**

> Aishiteru: I love you.  
> Boku mo aishiteimasu: I love you too.
> 
> Please feel free to talk to me about Voltron on [Tumblr](http://eilera-chan.tumblr.com/). :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Colors](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15406626) by [rae_aaah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rae_aaah/pseuds/rae_aaah)




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